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I loved it when Paul Harvey would abruptly say, “It’s not one world.” Whatever came next was going to be a zinger of weird behavior or political opinion, at least to most of Mr. Harvey’s listeners. What do you think he’d say of the “debate” regarding the punishment (his crime is admitted) of acclaimed director Roman Polanski.
What’s he accused of? According to then 13 year-old Samantha Geimer, the acclaimed director offered to take photos of her (without clothes as it turned out) to help with her acting career. He gave her alcohol and a Quaalude before trying to convince her to have sex with him. She resisted but raped her. Polanski pleaded guilty to the rape, although the details of the event are “alleged” because of a plea bargain. Seeing that he would likely go to jail, the world-class artist fled to France and has lived there since.
What’s to debate? Well, remember that Polanski is an Oscar-winning director, an artist in the minds of many. For the French (Polanski is now a French citizen) film community his artistic talent has some bearing on the consequences he should face for criminal behavior. French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand says that an America that would arrest Roman Polanski is the “America that scares us.” Other French newspapers refer to Polanski being persecuted for his art.
But it’s not even “one America.” American actress Whoopi Goldberg claims that Polanski’s crime was not “rape-rape.” Is there a way to describe non-consensual sex between a 13 year-old child and a man 30 years older that is palatable to civilized society? She, in defense of the director, added that we are “a different kind of society” than we were when Polanski was arrested 32 years ago. American directors and actors including Woody Allen, David Lynch, Michael Mann, and Martin Scorsese have signed a petition demanding Polanski’s release. Film producer Harvey Weinstein added, “Whatever you think about the so-called crime, Polanski has served his time.” I wouldn’t call 30 years of freedom and wealth “serving time.”
I’ve not heard any of these celebrity spokesmen suggest that Louis Soltren should be released. Soltren was recently arrested and charged with hijacking a plan to Cuba 41 years ago. Surely he’s also served his time, and in less luxury than the rapist. Or what about Dennis Bradford who was recently arrested here in Texas for raping an 8 year-old girl nearly 20 years ago? Maybe a petition for him should be arranged.
Two important principles occur to me as I read of the Polanski case. The first is pragmatic and the second is philosophical.
Pragmatically, I remember the warning of those who disagreed with our national move toward the un-defining of marriage. If marriage may be between a man and a man or a woman and a woman, then why not between adults and children or among more than two people, and so on. This case does relate to marriage because it involves sex. Even in our “different kind of society” we must acknowledge that sex that doesn’t disrupt a community is sex within the bounds of marriage. It is still true today and the many children born without benefit of married parents remind us of that verity.
To those who still call those earlier watchmen hysterical, I offer the reminder that some have offered legalized gay marriage as a justification for polygamy. And now the Hollywood subculture argues that a man who raped a child 30 years ago and then fled the country to avoid prosecution should be vindicated because our society has changed since then. That fuzzy logic could justify nearly anything.
Philosophically, we must recognize that Whoopi Goldberg’s 30-year age of enlightenment was caused by something and it has consequences that even she might find regrettable. Undeniably, attitudes toward marriage, extramarital sex, and single motherhood have changed. Those who try to clean up the effects of social catastrophes agree that divorce and single motherhood are leading causes of poverty in America. Who’s in favor of poverty? We also observe that the objectification of women in our culture has grown during this time. Who’s in favor of that?
In a selectively idealistic subculture like our entertainment industry, most people say justice for the weak, hungry, homeless, or sick is a high priority. That idealism joins other motives to explain movies that put black hats on faceless bureaucracy, the pharmaceutical industry, industrialists of all sorts, and most members of the military.
